About

Update: Apple fanatics will be pleased to hear that Opus will work with your fancy new iPhone 5S or 5C!

MikeShouts - "First off, we are most certainly impressed by the accessory when not in use: they kind of looks like the yin-yang thing where two halves come together by the force of magnet, making it one handy ball-like form for easy storage and transportation."

InStash - "You see a lot of products for both iOS and Android-based products that incorporate a speaker into the docking station, but many don’t offer compatibility across multiple devices, and they make extremely poor stands if you’re wanting to actually use your table or smartphone while getting better sound out of the speakers. Enter the Opus Speaker Stand."

GadgetSin - "We have introduced many well-designed stands for iOS devices, but if you need more functions, you may like to check Opus, a universal stand and sound amplifier."

iPhoneness - "We have covered plenty of attractive iPad and iPhone speakers here in the past. The Opus speaker is pretty neat though."

Opus is a non-electronic amplifier & stand for iPad, iPhone, Android. There are two halves to Opus: the left side is an acoustic loudspeaker & the right side firmly holds your device in place. The interlocking halves easily snap & stay together using magnets.

Opus’ compact size makes it easy to bring along nearly anywhere. The clean lines & graceful geometry of Opus make it a sculptural piece both when in use & when not.

HOW OPUS CAME TO BE:

Sanjeet, designer of Opus, says:

“I was frustrated with my iPad case, it didn’t function properly as a stand. I wanted to create something I wouldn’t have to attach to my iPad at all times & wanted to preserve the smooth look & feel of the iPad. After research into similar products, I found an interesting concept for amplifying sound from the iPads internal speaker. This is where I found white space & started to develop the concept for Opus. There wasn’t a product out there that combined both a stand and a sound amplifier.”

Early Sketches of Opus

Early prototypes of Opus

Speakers on Apple products often project sound down or to the back. This kills the clarity & volume of your music, movies or conversations. Using low tech, proven geometry: Opus catches, redirects, enhances & amplifies sound. Opus turns the meager sound coming out of an iPad, iPhone, Android into a room filling resonance.

Opus holds your device firmly in place at an ideal & ergonomic viewing angle. This frees your hands up to dance around (raise the roof, do the dougie), cover your eyes during a scary movie, or have a very animated & gesture filled conversation.

INJECTION MOLD COLORS

The two halves of Opus can be made to match or, for the adventurous, can be a combination of the colors shown below. Injection molded versions will beavailable in: Black, Cherry, Graphite, Mint, Navy & White.

3D PRINTED COLORS

Limited Edition 3D printed versions will be available in only White & Black.

Opus works best with the iPad (2nd, 3rd, & 4th generation) & will also work with the iPhone 5, iPhone 4/4S, & iPod Touch (3rd, 4th, & 5th generation).

In addition to working with these Apple devices, we have found that Opus works perfectly with the Galaxy S3 & S4.

Opus will work for any tablet/smartphone that has a speaker on the back or side. For tablets, the speakers will be enclosed by Opus if they are on the bottom right. The second requirement is that the thickness of the tablet/smartphone be less than 0.38 inchesor 9.65 mm.

DESIGN & MANUFACTURING

We have carefully engineered Opus so that it can easily be 3D printed or manufactured using injection molds. We’re working with sourcing manufacturers to produce Opus once we have successfully met our funding target.

PROJECT TIMELINE & MANUFACTURING PLAN

THE TEAM

Sanjeet Das, James Wilde, Jess Baker

Sanjeet Dasis a student at Northwestern University. A rising junior in the Manufacturing and Design Engineering (MaDE) program, he aspires to be a product and service designer in the future. From Northern Virginia, Sanjeet is diehard Washington sports fan. This summer he is a design intern at Innovation Factory & is the head designer for Opus.

James Wilde is a Design Engineer that specializes in 3D modeling and rapid prototyping. James has a degree in Manufacturing and Design Engineering (MaDE) from Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering and is now living in the heart of downtown Chicago.

Jess Baker is originally from Peosta, Iowa and received a degree in Architecture from the University of Cincinnati. After college, she moved to Brooklyn where she found joy and success in her knitwear business, YesJess. She now handles marketing & social media at Innovation Factory in Chicago. Jess has a blog, an awesome dog, a craving for artichokes & a love for maps.

All of us at Innovation Factory are excited about Opus & we certainly hope you are too. We appreciate any help & support you can give! Check out the rewards or spread the word about Opus via Facebook, Twitter or any other social network. Help us to give you the symphony you deserve!

A special thanks to On The Real Film for filming us & helping us tell our story.

Risks and challenges

We have created prototypes to test the all aspects of Opus & are very confident in its quality. Parts created using the injection molds are expected to be consistent. Parts created using 3D printing will show the horizontal striation that the process of 3D printing creates. We have carefully picked the plastic materials used for the injection molds & hope to bring you the best of quality. There may still be minor defects in manufacturing process. In the future, we may explore different materials for the Opus. We hope to ship the Opus out as quickly as possible, but are aware of challenges & unexpected hiccups with production & distribution speed.

Kickstarter is not a store.

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3D Printing Workshop at Innovation Factory! (LIMITED TO 10): An exclusive opportunity to learn how to use the 3D printers at our store in Chicago, IL. Your own 3D printed Opus included! Date: LATE 2013.